Curtain box

ABSTRACT

A CURTAIN BOX HAVING INTEGRALLY PROVIDED ON ITS SURFACE A CURTAIN RAIL OR RAILS AND MEANS FOR FITTING THE CURTAIN BOX TO A DESIRED LOCATION, THEREBY FACILITATING THE FITTING OF THE BOX ITSELF AND ALSO ELIMINATING THE NECESSITY OF ATTACHING A SEPARATE CURTAIN RAIL OR RAILS TO THE BOX.   D R A W I N G

MASATOSHI TANAKA 3,715,776

CURTAIN BOX Feb. 13, 1973 Filed Oct. 5. 1970 INVENTOR United StatesPatent 3,715,776 CURTAIN BOX Masatoshi Tanaka, Tokyo, Japan, assignor toMitsui & Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan Filed Oct. 5, 1970, Ser. No. 77,861Claims priority, application Japan, Oct. 16, 1969, 44/98,646, 44/98,647,44/98,648 Int. Cl. A47h 1/04 US. CI. 16-94 D 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A curtain box having integrally provided on its surface acurtain rail or rails and means for fitting the curtain box to a desiredlocation, thereby facilitating the fitting of the box itself and alsoeliminating the necessity of attaching a separate curtain rail or railsto the box.

This invention relates to a curtain box arranged to cover thesurroundings of the top portion of a curtain or curtains, and moreparticularly it relates to a curtain box which is generallytrough-shaped and provided with a ourtain rail or rails and curtain boxsupporting means which are all integral with the curtain box body.

According to the conventional way of construction of a building, it wascommon practice to sash the windows after completion of the main bodyportion of the building and to install the curtain boxes after finish ofthe exterior make-up, with the curtain rails being then attachedindividually to the curtain boxes. Thus, the fitting of the curtainboxes to the building stnucture and attachment of the curtain rails tosaid boxes would take much time and labour.

In order to overcome such disadvantages, the present invention isintended to provide an improved curtain box which has integrallyprovided therewith a curtain rail or rails and curtain box supportingmeans.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a curtain boxof the type just described, in which a structure for housing lightingfixtures is integrally provided in the inside of the box.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a curtain boxof the above-said type, in which a reflecting surface adapted to reflectillumination is provided in the inside of the box.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a curtainbox of the above-said type, in which there are provided the referencelines required for building construction work and interior make-up.

The invention will be described in more detail herein after withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating part of a curtain boxembodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating another em-- bodied form ofthe curtain box according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing part of still another embodiment ofthe present invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a curtain box,generally designated 1, which is of a bottomopened box-shaped structure.At the bottom ends of both side walls of said box are provided theflanges 2, 2', and a sash 3 is fixed at the end of the outside flange 2.The inside flange 2' is adapted to support thereon a cross beam 4 and aceiling member 5. On the underside of the ceiling board of said curtainbox 1 are provided the curtain rails 6, 6' which are arranged inparallel relation and protrude downwardly from said ceiling board. Thereis also provided a platform 7 which extends inwardly, parallel to theceiling board, from a side wall of the curtain box 1, and alight-transmittable plate 10 is fitted between a projection 8 formed atthe edge of said platform and a check element 9 provided on theunderside of said ceiling board.

As will be appreciated, a lighting fixture housing chamber 11 is definedby an inside portion of the ceiling board, an inside portion of a sidewall and said platform 7.

Designated by 1 2 is a supporting block for a fluorescent lamp a orother lighting means fixed on the platform 7. 13, 13' indicate a pair ofhooked strip protuberances which are provided in opposed relation toeach other on the upper surface of the ceiling board and adapted to beengaged with a hanger element 14 whose top end is welded to an anchorbeam 15 which is embedded at an end in the building body 16, therebysupporting the entire structure of the curtain box 1 in a suspendedmanner.

Numeral 17 denotes a reflecting face provided on the entirety of theinner surface of each side wall of the curtain box 1. This is preferablyconstituted by subjecting the entire inner surface of the box 1 to asurface treatment that produces a diffused reflection face, but othersuitable means such as deposition of metal foil may be employed, asdesired, according to the purpose for which the present device is to beused.

It will also be understood that the flanges 2, 2' pro vided at thebottom ends of both side walls of the curtain box 1 in the aboveembodiment may be eliminated completely, or one of them may beeliminated, according to the type of fitting means or positionalrelation with the ceiling to which the device is fitted, or otherrequirements.

Also, in the above embodiment, a pair of hooked pro tuberances 13, 13are provided on the upper surface of the ceiling board of the curtainbox 1 so as to secure the box in a suspended manner from the buildingbody 16, but it is also possible to provide simiiar protuberances on aside wall of the box 1 opposed to the building body and thereby securethe box in the same manneras said above, or otherwise, the side wall ofthe box opposed to the building body may be eliminated and suitablefitting means may be provided at the vacant edge of the ceiling boardwhereby to secure the box to said body. Other suitable modifications inthis respect can also be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

The platform 7 may be formed integrally on the inner face of a side wallof the curtain box 1, simultaneously in the draw-shaping step for thecurtain box. But, when it is desired to add such platform to an existingcurtain box, it may be manufactured separately and may be combined withsuch existing curtain box in a suitable manner.

The light-transmittable plate 10 can serve as a protection againstingress of dust, insects or other undesirable substances into theillumination chamber 11. If such plate is made of a translucentmaterial, it may produce a dimmed illumination effect.

In case of using a blind, instead of an ordinary curtain, consisting ofa plurality of vertically arranged lightshielding strips, eachchannel-shaped curtain rail is arranged such that the channel is openedsideways, although it is opened at the bottom in the above-shown embodi-Inent.

Thus, good coordinative combination of the curtain box and theillumination chamber will permit miniaturization of the entirestructure, eliminating any unsightly projection of the frame or otherelements into the room. Also, the light from the illumination chamber isnot directly shed into the room; when the curtain is opened, the lightrays are reflected on the reflecting faces of the box to light up theroom with the reflected light rays, thus allowing most effectiveutilization of the projected light over a Wide area in the room. On theother hand, when the curtain is drawn, the light will illuminate thecurtain so as to produce an indirect room-lighting effect.

In addition, provision of the reflecting layer on the entire inner wallsurface of the curtain box make it unnecessary to exercise anyadditional coating Work on the interior of the curtain box.

In FIG. 3 there is shown an alternative embodiment of the curtain boxcomprising a framework, generally designated A, consisting of a ceilingboard 21 and side plates 22, 22' which are all made of light metal suchas aluminium material. On the underside of said ceiling board 21 areprovided a pair of integral curtain rails 6, 6', and the flanges 2, 2'are provided at the bottom ends of said side walls 22, 22. As will alsobe seen, a plurality of longitudinal parallel reference lines orindentations 26, 26' are provided on the bottom surfaces of said flanges2, 2 as well as at the external surface of a bent-up edge of said flange2'. On the upper surface of the ceiling board 21 are provided a pair ofopposed and suitably spaced hooked protuberances 13, 13 adapted to beengaged with an intermediate member having projected centrally from itsupper face a hanger rod element welded to an anchor beam which, in turn,is embedded partly in the building body, thus securing the curtain boxin connection with the building body.

This embodiment is particularly featured by provision of a plurality oflongitudinal parallel reference lines, in the form of indentations, onthe parts of the frame-work which are exposed to the outside When thecurtain box is fitted to a building. In case of installing this curtainbox at a desired position, there is no need of putting marks orstretching a string for measuring purpose in the carpentering,plastering, mounting, paint-coating or other related works. For example,the above featured arrangement can provide a reference line for ceilingheight, a reference line for determining the relative position of theceiling and the wall, a reference line for mounting of window sashes, ora refeernce line for determining the thickness of finish coating on thewall, so that the period required for installation of the curtain boxescan be markedly shortened.

I claim:

1. A curtain box which comprises a bottom opened box-shaped structurewith an inner chamber adapted to house lighting fixtures so that lightrays from said lighting fixtures are reflected inside said curtain boxand on a curtain therein, at least one curtain rail integrally formed onthe inside surface of said box-shaped structure supporting said curtain,supporting ridges formed integrally with said box-shaped structure forsecuring said curtain box to a building structure, and a platformconstituting the lower wall of said inner chamber formed integrally onthe inner surface of said box-shaped structure for mounting saidlighting fixtures.

2. A curtain box as defined in claim 1, in which the entire inner wallsurface of the box is made into a reflecting face arranged to reflectthe light from the illuminator.

3. A curtain box as defined in claim 1, in which a plurality oflongitudinal reference lines are provided on the surface parts of thebox which are exposed to the outside when the box is fitted to abuilding.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,155,149 11/1964 Ford -3463,007,036 10/1961 Mills, Jr. 160-38 3,060,489 10/ 1962 Blackmer 16-963,286,299 11/1966 Golden 16-87.4 3,297,075 1/ 1967 Howell et a1 160-38FOREIGN PATENTS 184,323 1/ 1956 Austria 16-96 D 6610954 2/ 1968Netherlands 160-19 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner D. F. MARQUETTE,Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.'R. 16-96 D

